A note of apology, But no explanation

LOS ANGELES John Zawahri left a note apologizing for killing his father and brother but left no explanation for the rampage that left them and three others dead, police said Thursday.

The three- to four-page note was found on Zawahri's body after he was shot and killed June 7 by officers on the campus of Santa Monica College, Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said at a news conference.

In the note, Zawahri also said goodbye to friends and expressed hope his mother would be taken care of.

“We know his was a troubled life and that he experienced mental health challenges,” Seabrooks said.

Zawahri apparently built his own .223-caliber assault weapon, using it to shoot his father and brother before he set fire to the family home, officials said earlier.

Seabrooks said the semi-automatic weapon appears to have been built with component parts that are legal to obtain, but when assembled make the rifle illegal in California.

She said he also modified an antique black-powder revolver so that it could hold .45-caliber ammunition; it was loaded during the shooting and he carried it with him in a duffel bag.

Separately, an official close to the investigation said the fire, which erupted soon after neighbors heard shots fired, was intentionally set.

Firefighters found the bodies of the father and brother in a bedroom that was uninvolved in the blaze. The house was found unkempt with files and papers scattered throughout, providing ample kindling.

In Zawahri's bedroom, investigators found a drill press among other materials that indicate he likely assembled the weapon.

The drill press could be used to help finish building the rifle by drilling holes in the lower receiver. A lower receiver that is only 80 percent complete can easily be purchased, and because it is not complete, a person isn't required to go through a background check, nor does the part need to have a serial number.

In California such weapons require a “bullet button” kit, which is added to a lower parts kit to make it legal. The kit modifies the weapon so that a separate tool must be used to release an ammunition magazine and reload the gun; without such a modification a person can press a button to release the magazine.

Zawahri was carrying 1,300 rounds of ammunition in magazines that can hold 30 rounds each. While such high-capacity magazines are illegal to purchase, sell or transfer in California, possession is not illegal.